Dave read more articles than I, and made better citations, thereof.
I stopped reading after the first one left me shaken and disgusted.
Having looked at more articles, I find a consistent messages indicating that:
1. Marty is a deadbeat.
2. Rita who may have been divorced before she took the city job,
should be made retroactively responsible
for debts resolved by the Decree and Title Transfer
3. Jannie is a bad person, because she helped stop a Sheriff Sale.
I disagree with all three of those messages.
Tax Delinquincy is not an isolated problem.
While I see the wisdom in making a debate on Health care necessary, but
seperate, it is fair to point out that the current collection "remedies" do
more harm than good. Taxes should be pursued in a timely and rational manner.
My intention was not to say 'paying one tax absolves a citizen from paying a
second tax'.
It was to say:
1. Marty is more unable than unwilling to pay all of his bills.
2. The city's "Collection" remedy has been to try and force the Cabry home to
Sheriff Sale.
(I have seen it on the lists at least 3 times.)
3. Making Marty and his wheel chair bound daughter homeless, will cost
Taxpayers more, per month, than a full year of unpaid taxes.
4. Jannie is remains loyal and logical, even though her choice has been
spotlighted as 'bad' and made inflammatory and to seem merely emotional.
I am not against Sheriff Sales.
I believe vacant properties with large outstanding obligations should be forced
to Sheriff Sale within a year of going vacant.
I hate that neighbors endure years of overgrown, rat infested, vacant lots.
I beleive dangerous properties should be secured, and forced to Sheriff Sale
more quickly, if a plan to remedy hazardous conditions is not delivered within
30 days. Dangerous can coever every thing from broken glass, fallen masonry or
being used as shelters-of-convenience for drug dealers.
I believe Sheriff Sale collection for properties still functioning as HOMES
should be carefully and compassionately reviewed.
This belief reflects not just my emotional bias for not kicking people when
they are down, but a coldly logical recognition that it cost taxpayers less to
absorb Real Estate Tax than to increase the Homeless population.
I am not suggesting we waive Marty's tax obligation, but there might be more
realistic solutions.
Perhaps current taxes could be withheld from Marty's wages, and an agreement
could be reached to waive interest and penalties and to pay the balance from
his estate. Marty, and his daughter, have survived health crisis that would
have doomed lesser individuals. The Sale of the property can pay the current
obligation, but forcing the Sale would probably lead to a much more expensive
outcome.
I call many of the attacks on our Councilwoman "head-shakers".
I am always surprised when someone gloats that she was arrested, <FOR FEEDING
THE HOMELESS.>
I am also shocked when people hold up an instance in which she has reversed her
decisions.
In almost every case, I find the change is a result of processing new
information to come to a better decision.
I don't agree with all of Jannie's choices, but I do trust that she will look
at the many sides of complicated issues before taking a stand.
I also trust her to mistakes and to improve her performance.
Making the Cabry family collateral damage in an attack on our Councilperson,
stinks!
So Dave, I may have missed a few quotes, but I think I see both the big picture
and its local consequence.
Best!
Liz
Elizabeth Campion
PRUDENTIAL, FOX & ROACH REALTORS, LLC
210 W. Rittenhouse Square, Suite 406
Phila, PA 19103
215-790-5653 Desk & Voicemail
215-880-2930 Cell & Emergency
215-546-9781 Shared office Fax
campio...@juno,com or
[email protected] for Rental questions
Link to Photos of available Listings and public, 'social' photos:
www.PicasaWeb.google.com/CampionEF
To check out all PFR and Multiple Listed Properties and
to review CONSUMER NOTICE, link to
www.PruFoxRoach.com
Your referral is a welcome compliment.
All the best in 2009 and beyond!
---------- Original Message ----------
From: Dave Axler <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: [UC] Re: The Marty Cabry Discussion
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:26:25 -0400
Some quick thoughts on a few different posts from the last couple of days...
Karen Allen says, "If anything, Marty is a perfect illustration of what's wrong
with the current health care system, where medical expenses can force people
onto the street."
That is very true. The hidden issue here is unquestionably the health care
system. We can argue all we want about the morality and/or legality of Marty's
actions (or those of Councilwoman Blackwell on his behalf), but this is a much
larger problem that affects all of us.
Karen also says, "I'm also sorry that the Inquirer couldn't give the same
attention to his personal struggle as it did to the fact that he was a city
employee who didn't [couldn’t] pay his property taxes."
The first Inquirer article (7/19) included this: "Reached by phone, Cabry said
he had accumulated the debt in part because of his divorce, his health problems
(including a lung transplant), and the expensive medical treatments needed for
his adult daughter, who has spina bifida."
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/51107802.html
=0 A
The second one (7/21) included this: "Cabry said last week that health problems
led him into the property-tax debt. He is afflicted with idiopathic pulmonary
fibrosis, a serious condition that forced him to get a double lung transplant
three years ago. Cabry's adult daughter, whom he cares for, has spina bifida."
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/51284642.html
If the Inky were reporting on the inequities of the health-care system, and the
effects of those inequities on real people, I'd have expected much more detail
about Marty's personal situation, along with a brief mention that one of the
side-effects of those inequities was his tax situation. But since the topic of
both articles was tax-delinquent city employees, this seems to be reasonable
and fair coverage.
And, unfortunately, Marty happened to be the "worst case" example -- the most
owed, and delinquent for the longest time. So omitting him from the story would
have been a real reportorial omission.
In another posting, Liz Campion remarks that she is "...glad he is able and
willing to earn wages (and pay wage taxes)..."
The implicit comparison between wage and real estate taxes is misleading and
irrelevant. If you live or are employed in Philly, the law requires that wage
taxes be directly deducted from your paycheck by your employer. If you have a
job, you don't get a choice about paying them.
Real estate taxes are not a paycheck deduction (unless the city garnishes your
pay). Not paying them is a choice which several thousand City employees appear
to have made.
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